Assuming that a 180lb plus Leopard was your only concern, what is the best area on the continent to get one? Also, which area has the most cat's per square mile.

Oh, they can be found potentially anywhere that leopards occur. How many 10 to 14 day leopard hunts are you willing to wait out for one that size?

If a 150 pound Tom showed up at your bait would you tell the PH to shoo him away?

180...hummm.... Aside from luck and/or a lot of hunts, the best bet might be the Lowveld of Zimbabwe with dogs, only following big tracks and/or known cats.

John Sharp won the leopard of the year in Zim for 2006 ("shot at Malangani measuring 18in and coming No. 8 in SCI").

The booking agent John Barth has been advertising "the biggest cats" for several years, he might be worth a shout too.

lowveld in zim is probably your best chance, but be prepared to take several hunts. I took one that was over 200#'s but it took 4 trips 54 days in blinds and a hellova lot of luck. I doubt that i could duplicate it

Wolfgar,

I have no scientific data to back this up but I would say the best chance for an honest 180lb plus leoapard has to be in the lowveld of Zimbabwe. The Save Conservancy seems to produce a monster of that size with some regularity. Can you go there and expect to kill one? Probably not! I personally know that Barrie Duckworth, Jumbo Moore and Roger Whittal have all taken leopard of that size or larger on the Save though. Our own butchloc took a beast there recently.

As for shear numbers the Luangwa Valley in Zambia might be at the top of the list based on the fact that it is not at all uncommon to see a leopard during the day there. Also success rates on leopard hunts there are very high with John DuPlooy being nearly 100% over the last 4 seasons in an area where only hunting by daylight is allowed.

Masailand in our Lobo and Lokisale concessions also produces some excellent leopards. Having multiple cats feeding at any one time is not uncommon.

Mark

Thanks fellas. I did kill a beautiful cat this year in the Lowveldt, about 130lbs, with John Hunt in West Nick area I will definetly go with him again, but was wondering what you all had to say about other areas.
Butch, I can only imagine what a 200lb cat looks like!
I did see some huge tracks there, but none hit the bait.....I wanted to kill a Leopard BAD, so I gladly killed mine insted of MAYBE getting the big one.

John Sharp Safaris. He's won the Zim PH award for the "best leopard" three times over the last five years. It's a great concession with plenty of big cats. jorge

Wolfgar,

Your leopard was a nice mature tom and actually many leopards shot are not as large as yours. I assure you those 160 pound or better leopards are not common anywhere let alone 180 pounds up. Take note of what butchloc said "54 days in the blind" plus luck to take his monster leopard.

It would seem you might be contemplating another leopard hunt. I can't blame you as I find them one of the most fascinating animals in Africa.

Mark

Hopefully, my son (Riverman) and I will have stories of big leopards in just a few months. Leave for Erindi in Namibia on 18th of April for two weeks; hunting with dogs with some of the best out there. See Craig Boddington's article in the january '07 Sports Afield for a quick run-down on his hunt with Corne' and Wilhem. Only turning out on the biggest tracks is the surest way to be selective on big toms.

Hello Mark, and thanks for your comments regarding my cat, and yes I do want to go back!
I did not hunt deer even one day this season, and I can only think about sitting in a Leopard blind again! I cannot get the sight of my cat in the tree out of my mind. It was sureal.
Yes those monster Leopards are smart and hard to get without dog's....I'm not knocking it, but, a dog hunt is not for me.

Zimbabwe Lowveld of course.

Terry you keep showing that cat. You know what that is doing to my expectations.

I don't know if its the very best area but the Kalahari Wilderness Safari area in Botswana which is hunted by Dries Visser is certainly among the excellent ones.

The area is huge. It is borders the Kalahari National Park for about 35 miles and is separated only by a cattle fence which the cats walk right through.

The place is literally crawling with lion and leopard coming out of the park to munch cattle and donkeys on the other side of the hunt area.