I just returned from hunting for plains game is the Limpopo area of RSA with Numzaan Safaris. A report will follow. Stef Swanepoel is the owner of Numzaan Safaris. Stef and his client from Ohio returned from a week of hunting Cape Buffalo, Sable and Leopard in Botswana while I was in camp.The client shot all three with the leopard going 7 foot. Actually, he shot 2 Leopards as the first could not be found. Stef said he has an area that is full of Leopard and Oct is the best month. If some one is looking for a short notice leopard hunt you may want to contact Numzaan at E-mail numzaan@africa.com their web site is numzaan.com

Sable are not on license in Botswana??

Killed two leopard, because the first "could not be found"???

Hunting season closed in Botswana in mid-Sep. How is October the "best month" for leopard??

Forrest

Perhaps they were hunting the ranches in the Tuli Block. Where in the real wild would you be able to get a buffalo, leopard and a sable in a week? It is possible but not likely. Also there might have been an extra leopard on quota and the guy decided to pay for a second hunt.

Mark

quote:

Originally posted by ForrestB:
Sable are not on license in Botswana??

Killed two leopard, because the first "could not be found"???

Hunting season closed in Botswana in mid-Sep. How is October the "best month" for leopard??

I may not have all the facts correct. It may have been Zimbabwe. I really wasn't listening that closely. The client flew back to Johannesburg and Stef had a long drive back just getting through the border before it closed at night. The client paid for a second leopard and Stef say they had one more leopard quota. I will ask for more details. I am just not that interested in staying up at night to hunt some animal as I think I spent too many night on alert pretending the Russians might be crossing the border. While I would like to have a leopard and so would my wife I don't think I could do the time require. My wife could but I like to sleep some. It took me 4 days of sitting about 4 to 5 hours a day to get the Warthog I wanted. I think Dave {the client} told me he saw three different leopards in three nights of sitting about 3 hours a night. It seems like a short time of sitting for a leopard from what I have read {I think I read that Craig Boddington went to Africa several times and spent many nights hunting leopards before he killed one}. I think I could do that much time sitting but it would not work as I snore so loud that a leopard would think a lion was in the area.

I just re-read my post and I think I might have come across as a complete ass. That was not my intention at all. I'm fairly certain the hunt took place in Zimbabwe; maybe close to the border, but within Zim.

The quotas are so tight and the season so short in Bots, I don't know how the guys there can earn a living nowadays (even with the exorbitant prices).

I would guess it was probably Zim. - Tuli Block (Botswana) is a buffer zone and doesn't have Buffalo and the Sable all died out many years ago. A few people are talking about re-introducing them - but as far as I know, it hasn't happened.

Hunting PG is allowed year round in Tuli - but the Leopard season ends 14th September.

However, each Tuli Block area can usually get 2 Leopards each.

Army aviator

I also don't like sitting in blinds - fortunately the Tanzanian Leopards are generally a lot easier the hunt. This year I've taken 2 both over 10 foot long and the longest I sat in the bling was a little over an hour. - The second one came along after just 20 minutes!........wonderful things, trail timers

Great recommendation. He doesn't even know which country it is in. And forget about loosing a leopard or two. Shoot whatever you like with a South African outfitter in the illegally 'occupied' Gwayi Valley of Zimbabwe.

As for their being "lots" of leopards .... I guess the years of actually having "quotas" (ie conservation in action) may have helped for the current looting.

Steve

You didn't mean to say 10 foot leopards did you?????

Mark

Nitrox,

It is apparent that accuracy is such a concern to you that you would be rude to someone who mixed up his countries.

quote:

Great recommendation. He doesn't even know which country it is in.

I am am guessing that you would want it pointed out that you "stretched" a stated one leopard to "a leopard or two", something some folks would call a lie.

quote:

And forget about loosing a leopard or two.

I occurred to me that you might have been just trying to be cute at someone's expense but I ruled that out because that wouldn't be very nice.

Sodakhntr,

Is Stef Swanepoel, the owner of Numzaan Safaris licenced to hunt in Zimbabwe?

Is he licenced to promote hunts in Zimbabwe?

Is hunting in the Gwayi even permitted at the moment?

I think the answer to all these questions is NO.

Too many guys and even pseudo-agents just see the low prices and the easy sales and will deal with any joker.

PS Since when does an "offically" approved quota just happen to have an "extra" leopard available to replace one wounded and lost. I wonder what efforts were made to follow-up a wounded dangerous animal? Is that a mark of a "professional" hunter to leave a wounded leopard loose in the bush?

Some more "cute" questions.

PS I don't mind hounding these South African (alledged) crooks at all. I loved seeing their vehicles hunting on illegally seized land where I the legally booked client was just thrown off (with the owners).

quote:

Sodakhntr,

Is Stef Swanepoel, the owner of Numzaan Safaris licenced to hunt in Zimbabwe?

Is he licenced to promote hunts in Zimbabwe?

Is hunting in the Gwayi even permitted at the moment?

I think the answer to all these questions is NO.

Too many guys and even pseudo-agents just see the low prices and the easy sales and will deal with any joker.

PS Since when does an "offically" approved quota just happen to have an "extra" leopard available to replace one wounded and lost. I wonder what efforts were made to follow-up a wounded dangerous animal? Is that a mark of a "professional" hunter to leave a wounded leopard loose in the bush?

Some more "cute" questions.

PS I don't mind hounding these South African (alledged) crooks at all. I loved seeing their vehicles hunting on illegally seized land where I the legally booked client was just thrown off (with the owners).

Nitrox,

Thanks for clearing that up for me.

I knew there must be some reason for being rude to a fellow who hunted plains game in RSA and thought he was passing on a some information of value to the forum.

I am sure he knows the answer to all those questions as well as the circumstances of the leopard recovery effort.

Ever notice the "expert" at the local gunshop who uses the small amount of knowledge he has to humiliate someone that he thinks has less?

Wonder why they do that?

Mark,

Yes, - both exceeded the RW minimum. - can't remember the exact measurements though.

quote:

Sodakhntr:
"I am sure ...."

Well I am glad you are sure.

So tell us, what is your tie in to this outfitter? Ex-client, agent, business partner, outfitter's US banker ... ?

Do you ever notice how an "independent" bystander suddenly tries to divert the thread?

I wonder why they do that?

I remember the names "Swanepoel" and "Numzaan" from activity in the past. Maybe I should go digging through my archives.

PS The first post was nothing but an advertisement.

PPS Check out this thread, for another outfitter which allegedly does these sorts of hunts in Zim. Gwayi too BTW . This thread.

Sounds like a good time was had by all around the campfire, I think !!

Cheers Peter

quote:

So tell us, what is your tie in to this outfitter? Ex-client, agent, business partner, outfitter's US banker ... ?

Don't know him, that could be why I have made no reference to him whatsoever.

quote:

Do you ever notice how an "independent" bystander suddenly tries to divert the thread?

I wonder why they do that?

In my case, I just don't care much for rude behavior.

I do not now Nitrox from Adam, and, his posts may be rather "blunt" for want of a better word, however, he has always made good sense to me, and in this case, may well cause a "newbie" to at least pause, and at most, ask the right questions, before he writes checks or wires money.
Peter.

NitroX is truly being an ass.

And no one said it was in the Gwayi valley.

I and others here have hunted with Stef and he runs a first rate operation. Yes he is liscensed to hunt in ZIM and I have seen a client video in which he dropped a charging lioness with a head shot on the second leap. He also served in the SA armed forces in the border war and in Soweto during the riots. He is an excellent father of two fine young boys. Perhaps you should be more careful about calling everyone you don't know of a thief Mr. NitroZero.

He is also a class act and would probably resist the temptation to stick that double that you point at us in your avatar up your ass for slandering him.

KevinNY, I am sure you know a lot more than I do, however, there are two parallel threads going, that I believe are on the same topic. On the other thread, on 10/5, army aviator posted that the hunt WAS in the Gwaii valley. You may want to take a look, perhaps yu can shed some additional light.
Peter.

quote:

Originally posted by Peter:
... there are two parallel threads going, that I believe are on the same topic. On the other thread, on 10/5, army aviator posted that the hunt WAS in the Gwaii valley. You may want to take a look, perhaps you can shed some additional light.

KevinNY,

Any comments?

As you seem to know the guy well, perhaps you can let us know which private farm he is hunting on in the Gwayi and whom are the titleholders.

I guess my "rudeness", but BTW I don't see any personal attacks, no name calling, no "sticking things up anyone's 'asses' (yuck - not a thought that enters my brain too easily )", just a lot of unanswered questions.

Still unanswered.