When I arrived in Harare Buzz informed me there was an extra leopard on quota in Chewore North. He relayed that Big 5 Safaris would allow me to hunt leopard even though I was on a seven day hunt. I jumped at the opportunity since I had originally planned to hunt leopard in South Africa. Long story short: My South African leopard hunt was unceremoniously cancelled when the Limpopo Parks director decided that hunters wanting leopard permits must also make a large donation to a black empowerment program. I don’t know how much money was being requested but my PH cancelled my hunt as well as two other hunters. Though disappointed I respect his judgement and had decided to just do some plains game hunting. I was to hunt with Buzz first in Zimbabwe though.

So I first completed my tuskless hunt which went surprisingly well. Since I had plenty of time left in my hunt period we went on to begin baiting for leopard. Our first area was at the Mariatsoro fly camp, which was unproductive. I had shot a female impala and the first baboon for leopard bait. We moved on to a second fly camp that was positioned along the Zambezi, as a hippo was also available. This would quite possibly enable me to take both animals. I felt Buzz made a good decision to move camp so we did. The second fly camp was near the Chifukura River and nearer to the Dande North border.

In our travels a leopard track was found in a place known as the Red Rocks area. It’s a pretty spot right near the actual Dande- Chewore border. Buzz had commented that it was an area he had dreamed of hunting leopard. Once we beached the boat leopard spoor was noticed almost immediately.

Due to so much smoke in the air blowing over from the Zambian side the red color was not very pronounced.



The loose soil made it very difficult to judge whether this was a large cat or a female.



It was decided to bait anyway and see what happened. Buzz took off into the brush and shortly we heard him calling. He had chosen a large Tamarind tree up the bank as a bait site. This is the tree in the center of the photo.



We took off to look for impala and I shot a 22 inch buck in a dry riverbed. Apparently that is a big impala for the valley. It was a long shot and not the best one so we had a follow up effort but got him down an hour later. Buzz’s trackers are extremely talented. We went back to the Tamarind tree before dark and the guys cut the buck in half and hung one of the halves on a nice big branch on the tree.





The next morning there was fresh leopard spoor at the beach. The leopard had come to drink! We quickly made our way to the bait. It was hit! A leopard had fed lightly and there were elephant tracks below the bait. Perhaps some ele’s chased the cat off? Still, with the loose soil it was very hard to tell if this was a shooter leopard. A blind was constructed next to a very large boulder about 65 yards down wind. I had never seen a leopard blind built but I soon noticed it was quite a production.

Everyone was cutting large branches and small trees for framing and then added many branches of green leaves to make for a secure hiding place for myself, Buzz and Shawn, who would be filming. The other half of the impala buck was added to the first half.




Some of the foliage was also cleared from the Tamarind tree so a clear view would be had. This hunt could only be conducted during daylight hours, as there is no night hunting allowed in the government concession. Unfortunately there is also a “curfew†on the river. No boats were supposed to be in the water after 1800 hours. Well, it’s still light out at that time! Our game scout was a new guy and we did not know what to expect from him as our hunt location was far from camp. At the time I thought how much the odds were against us for even seeing a leopard.

The beginnings of a leopard hide.



Small window peeps were added and a peephole to shoot from with a secure armrest for my right arm. A chair was brought from camp and put firmly into place. When finished it blended perfectly in with the surrounding foliage and the ground inside was swept of all crunchy debris. This was done all the way to the river leaving us a completely silent approach. The blind was approximately 65 yards from the baited Tamarind tree.

While the guys were busy constructing the blind, I noticed some porcupine quills on the ground. I collected them. Later, as we left the finished blind, I said a small prayer and laid the quills on the brushed path as kind of a lucky charm. We would return mid afternoon and wait.

Our hunting party returned and only Buzz, Shawn and myself went to the blind. Everyone else stayed on the bank at the boat location. Once again it was a hot sunny afternoon. Most days here in the Valley were over 101 degrees Fahrenheit each day. There was a breeze blowing directly towards our hide. Perfect for the hunt. Again, no night hunting so we had no spotlights or rheostats.

View from the hide.



I am used to stand and blind hunting and went deep into thought with my ears wide open and remained still. It was indeed hot with the sun on our backs. I slipped my sandals off and rested my bare feet on the cooler soil of our hide. I could not see the bait or the Tamarind tree unless I leaned over to look through the peep made for my rifle. So I busied myself with thoughts of all the people I knew who had been leopard hunting and never saw one after several 14-day safaris under their belts. I figured this would be the case for me as well and knew I needed to do the time to earn my “crimeâ€. Earlier Buzz took me aside and double-checked with me that I wanted to pay the trophy fee if a cat showed. I was fine with our arrangement. Here I sat in a leopard blind, the first time ever, pretty much decided I could never have so much luck in a hunt.

Something stung me on my left foot. It burned and I slowly rubbed the spot with my right foot and gradually looked down. Nothing there but I know something nailed me. It hurt and I rubbed it and tried to remain quiet. The wind continued to blow at us. I could hear occasional movement in the dry leaves. I fancied birds of some sort were about the bush. I looked at my foot again and saw a blister formed. Damn, some kind of ant no doubt got me. I never did see what it was. Then I saw Buzz and Shawn move slightly. Something electric was immediate and somehow I knew it was time. It was only 1715 hours.

Shawn turned the video camera on and Buzz said the leopard was there. I looked down the peep and saw a leopard half way down the large bait branch looking about the area. Slowly scanning the scene. Suddenly I became very focused. I asked Buzz if it was a shooter, a male, had he quickly confirmed it was a very good cat. It was not long that the leopard moved forward on the branch towards the bait. The now invisible canopy and branch he stood on now framed the leopard. I could see how the spots on his neck below his chin formed a collar. My focus became so intent that the tree disappeared. He seemed to glow and take on a bright aura. I looked on not believing I had a leopard in front of me. Now he stood, pure grace and of lithe body and glowing, like fire in the sky.

I looked down the scope and took aim. As soon as I saw my spot I pulled the trigger. I knew I hit him hard. The leopard reacted by clawing forward with his back feet and reaching back with his jowls at the strike of the bullet. He yowled and fell heavily from the tree. I repeated in a whisper, “I got him!â€, several times. I began to shake hard. We heard the cat run off and make plenty of noise as he went.

The video was reviewed and it was beautiful. Due to the light of day he was perfectly visible on film. I hit him right smack in the boiler room. Oh what a hunt! Now to see where this big cat went. This was the hard part. Is he dead or waiting to take revenge?

Soon Crichton, Tino, the game scout and both of our boat drivers were on hand. Buzz had me stay behind with the game scout. You have no idea how hard this was. The moved off to the base of the Tamarind tree to the spot the leopard fell. Slowly they moved off from there. I could no longer see them. This was very nerve wracking. Soon I could hear them pitching rocks and I assumed they were checking the heavy brush. Wait… Wait… Wait… Time seemed to drag on miserably.

Then I heard Buzz call me. I whooped and ran towards the guys with the game scout on my heels. In a thick bush lay my leopard, stone dead. The guys carefully brought him out. The large head and powerful shoulders amazed me as well as the coarse spotted coat. It was not soft like a house cat. His paws were large and Buzz showed me the side claws on the front paws, which were very crusted. Buzz said these were what messed up so many PH’s, getting clawed by these filthy germ encrusted hooks!



This leopard had lived a long and tough life. He was blind in one eye, a pirate like scar running straight up and down over the left eye. One upper lip had been torn through at one time in his life, healed up but giving him the appearance of a hair lip. Half of one ear was long bitten off and there were numerous other old scars upon his head. He also sported a large hernia on his belly.

Light was now beginning to quickly fade. The guys were all very happy, no one got hurt and we had a beautiful trophy to show for a 24-hour effort. Ingwe in a day, how about that!



The leopard’s body was carried carefully to the river and it was nearly dark by then. The sun showing us no mercy for trophy photos. We worked fast on the riverbank and worried of hungry crocodiles. I had a very difficult time holding the leopard for the stand up photo.

We all piled into the boat and went happily back to camp. The leopard measured 86 inches, just over 7 feet one inch. A nice leopard for the Valley!



The next day we returned to take down the blind. This gave me a chance to look at the path the leopard took. He only made it 50 yards. There was a good blood trail and a fair amount of blood spatter on the tree trunks he passed. Buzz said the birds in the leaves I heard was the leopard walking past our blind before he climbed the tree.

The dark spots on the tree bark is dried blood.



Crichton stands in front of the bush that Ingwe crawled into. Is this thick or what! Had this leopard survived the shot this could have been a bad situation with a leopard in wait for revenge.

That is fantastic! Well done, congratulations on a beautiful cat.

Outstanding! Way to go Ann.

Trophy leopard in Zimbabwe in 24 hours? You should buy a Lottery ticket.

Great looking trophy.

Ann, Wow!

What a great story! You should write a book, the detail of the leopard when you first saw it is super! I shot mine at 10 pm, sorry, 2200 hrs. seeing it in full daylite must have been great! I can tell by your words just how exciting it was, you reminded me of how I felt when I saw my first Leopard, a sight that you can and will never forget!!

Your photo's of "The scene" are like what I do, get those pic's of everything that brings you back!! Your pic's might also be a little of your profession coming out too!!

That cat sounds like he might have been relieved to catch one of your bullets, all the scaring he had.

great going Ann, enjoyed your "reinactments"

Congratulations and thanks for sharing that fantastic story.

JD

Great story and pictures. I'm not even going to pretend that I'm not jealous.

Congratulations and well done. That was a great story and a great cat. Was your rifle a 375 H&H? what type of ammo were you using. I'm compiling a database for cat kills. Thanks, jorge

Ann,

Nice photos and story.

Congrats on your Leopard.

Best,
Phil

WTG Ann. Having spent days in those blasted blinds I envy your early success.

WOW ! , again. You're keeping use well entertained ,thanks.

Woww
Great story Ann!!!
Thanks for sharing it with us!
L

Thanks for that, Ann, and congrats on your fine cat.

BRAVO!!!!!!!

Beautiful...

Congratulations Ann! A great story, a wonderful hunt, and very well written!

Regards,
Martin

Anne, thank you for the photos and the written acct. very nice!!! Congratulations to you!!!!

Great story! Congratulations!

You really had the hunt of a lifetime. Great stuff.

Cheers,
Canuck

Congratulations!!!!!!!Great story and photos.

Thanks for the story. Sounds like a great hunt and a beautiful cat. Congratulations and well done.

Excellent report Ann!! Congratulations on a great hunt and cat!!

Nice shootin TEX! Er ah, Ma am!

Well done & great story, with a magnificent
cat that's full of character!

Ann, Thanks for the memories. It was May 14 of 91 and my Leopard came at dawn in the Chewore North. Great story and well done.

Ann, Great story and with the photos to visualize what was going on..Way to go...


Mike

Ann,

One Hell of a bag for a short hunt. Very nice. Mr. Spots is my favorite African animal.

Mark

Nicely done, both in deed and in story-telling. Congratulations!

Ann,

I know I'm older than you, but when I grow up I want to be just like you! What a great example you are for us women hunters. We just returned from Lemco where we saw what an exciting hunt Rick Klimes had. Now to read your great storie. Fantastic!!

Linda

quote:

Originally posted by Aspen Hill Adventures:
WLong story short: My South African leopard hunt was unceremoniously cancelled when the Limpopo Parks director decided that hunters wanting leopard permits must also make a large donation to a black empowerment program.

I thought connecting blacks up to electicity sockets finished with apartheid.

What a successful hunt and a nice leopard.

Great story Ann! Enjoyable reading!

Atta Girl! Thanks for the photos and the story too.
Wish I had one.

Great story, I was right there for the whole hunt Great pics.

Hooray for Ann, well done.

BigBullet

Ann
What a story, What a hunt. You are having a good time that is for sure. Congratulations

A great story and a great shot!

I've never been much interested in leopard, but I think I could get hooked after reading this.

It just goes to show you that, " Good People do not always finish last".

Just imagine a book of African Adventures by Ann and Judge G. WHat a read that would be.

Dulcinea

Great story and photos. Thanx for sharing.

Great story, Ann! I enjoyed that.
- mike

I am glad everyone is enjoying the hunt results. I truly never expected to have a shot at a leopard on this trip with so many obstacles. Limits to daylight hunting, river curfews, short time to bait and all. I know it is not an easy hunt.

I guess a blind squirrel really does find a nut once in a while.

I am not the best at stories and wording them but I can tell you when I hunt and the unexpected does happen it seems like everything around you fades away and your target becomes brilliantly intense. I am so greatful I got a leopard, I never ever thought I would have the opportunity.

I do recommend all of you add one to your list of things to do. Just remember to pick your spot on "spots" and make it count. He can be devastating to you or your hunting staff if wounded.

I used a borrowed Win Mod 70 in .375H&H and was shooting hand loaded 300 grain Woodleigh softs. This was a one shot kill.

I hope to be able to post a video clip on my website. It was awesome to capture the hunt this way. I highly recommend when you do such a hunt to have someone tape it for you.

Congratulations Anne,


A great story, it's as I was on your side.

A very good and non typical leopard. His scars are giving him more value.

Well done

Good on you girl.
!!!!

My daughter now wants to hunt leopard.