Can any of our experienced posters give me a quick run down on leopard baits and bait trees??? In particular, can anybody explain how a leopard bait is actually tied to a tree? By that I mean is it left to hang similar to the way you would hang a carcass in camp, is it laid flat along the branch allowing easy access for the leopard to feed off it, or is it wired along the underneath of a branch so the cat struggles to get at it�any pictures would be appreciated. Also does it matter what is used to secure the bait?? I assume single strand galvanised fencing wire is used or is there a problem with a wary animal rejecting the bait because of the presence of galvanised metal??

Many thanks,

Peter

Pete,

I hunted leopard for 14 days last summer. Our baits were all impala and they were chained to a tree at eye level. I was told that the baits could be near the ground because there were no lions on the ranch and leopard's normally don't carry prey up a tree unless they are threatened.

All animals harvested were gutted and the stomachs were kept in a a large garbage can in the back of the bakkie. Yes, it stunk to the high heaven within a few days. This "chum" was used to freshen the bait every few days. The trackers would spread it out in a wide circle around the bait.

The PH was very careful about having too many people walking around the bait. He was concerned about human scent.

Hope this helps,
Skibumplus3

Skibumplus3,
I know the question was about bait preparation but do you want to fill in the rest of the story? Did you get your leopard?

There is a certain skill to a bait tree and that should be established by the PH in advance...

A bait tree should be set up with a large extended branch that forks where the fork is silhouetted on the skyline as long as there is any light at all..Blind should be 40 or 50 yards away.

Bait should be tied but I don't think you should use chicken wire as a Leopard eats a lot of meat and baits should be replaced as he devours them. Impala don't last long but they are plentifull..Leopards like rotten meat and sometimes in some areas it must get really ripe to bring them in...Varius methods are used on the ground to temp Leopards to the tree such as carcass dragging and spilled blood on the tree etc.

Thats about all I know on the subject and it was taken from conversations that I have sat in on between some very good PH Leopard hunters.

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

Yup. I found a 7 foot cat on the 12th night. One shot and one dead cat. The actual shooting was almost to easy. The sitting and waiting part is not my cup of tea.

I'd post a picture but I can't remember the name of the website where I uploaded all the pics!

Ski+3

Ray said it nicely and correct. If lions are around the bait must be tied so high the lions can not reach it. The bait must be tied in such a way the cat must show his siluette broadside aganist the horizon. A roof on the blind can be nessecary to black out white faces and hands. A sort of door for the shooting hole is a must. Take a paperback book with you, help to pass the time at least as long as you have reading light. Fishermans Friends (strong mint tablets) are good to have, will keep eventual coughing away.

Do not move around checking baits, use binos when checking. If somebody has to go in to check for spoors, it is enough with one person, not the entire party. No touching of anything around the bait, do not mill around and for heavens sake do not pee in the surroundings.

Bjorn

We utilized Skibum's method in Zim in November except we used Kudu cow halves or quarters. As this was a big ranching area and the terrain wasn't too rough, we also tried to give the cat some room by occasionally just leaving baits at the base of trees in hopes that we could follow the drag of a feeding leopard and build the blind near wherever he left the dragged bait. In spite of the number of cats in the area (big tracks everywhere) we couldn't get anything on bait. Tough to bait a cat when there is a big selection of domestic livestock running around eh?

JohnTheGreek

It depends what the cat will eat. Out of the numerous leopard bait I have strung up Zebra and Impala seem to be favorite. Last year we used warthog and it worked well. The entrails are drug around say a 1 to 2 km circle then the entrails are returned to the tree inwhich the bait is hung. The entrails are then removed, you do not want the Leopard to be eating the appetizers while the main course is in the tree. We usually hang our baits by the head asing cable. they are suspended about 1m off the ground. If ratel is hunted a bit shallower. We usually bait about 7 to 10 days before the client arrives with about 4 baits. We check the baits often, and even have hung the baits returned and we have had a leopard feedin on it. I always take a rifle or shot gun after that scare. I don't think my CZ 75 would save me like the 12 gauge or 9,3

Gentlemen,

We went out one afternoon to hang leopard bait in Zimbabwe.

One of the trackers was up a tree, and we were in the process of pulling our impala bait up. About 400 yards away, I saw this leopard come out of the tree line, go straight to the water and start to drink.

Me: "Hey Roy, there is a leopard drinking at the waterhole!"

Roy was busy giving instructions to the trackers.

Walter: "Roy, you do not need to put a bait up! The leopard is right there at the waterhole!"

Roy never paid any attention to us.

Me: "Roy, why don't you take a look at that leopard over there?"

Roy: "Will you two stop this silly game! I want to have this bait up before sun down"

Me: "You better hurry up. If that leopard decides to cross the valley and come here, we need to be ready!"

Roy: "What leopard across the valley?"

He looks at the waterhole, then gets his glasses and looks again.

Roy: "You two are not joking! There IS a leopard there. Get your rifle, he might come closer!"

The leopard finished drinking, then went back into the tree line, and started walking parallel to the valley.

We took our impala off the tree, drove like mad to get ahead of the leopard, got about a mile ahead of him, and hung our bait, built a quick blind and left.

Next morning we came back, sat in the blind, and just about when you can barely see, the leopard arrived.

I centered the cross hairs on his shoulders, and pulled the trigger.

Roy, in his usual sceptical fashion, asked "Do you think you hit him?"

Me: "I am not sure! But I did not hear anything running after the shot."

Roy:"We better wait for it to get lighter, and then we will take a look."

Me:"Roy, that leopardd is stone dead!"

Roy:" Alright then. Let us go have a look"

We found our leopard lying exactly where he dropped off the tree. That 130 grain Barnes X out of the 270 Ackley did the trick.

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saeed@ emirates.net.ae

www.accuratereloading.com

Hi Saeed, Are you hunting anything specific in June or is this just a mixed bag general hunt?

Saeed,

I'm jealous (as usual)

JohnTheGreek

Thanks for the posts gentlemen...one of these days I am going to book myself a leopard hunt...it really is a dream of mine......

Mike,

This is going to be a mixed bag plains game hunt.

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saeed@ emirates.net.ae

www.accuratereloading.com

The only thing I would add is the bait is usually hung so the leopard has to work at bit to eat it..causing him to stretch out and expose himself...broadside shots preferred. Also a bait-tree and blind alignment that puts the sun at the hunter's back. Suggest you get a copy of Lou Hallomore's book about leopard hunting...great reading.