For cats, what SableTrails writes parrallels what I've considered in the past, when thinking about it on and before and after DG hunts.

Get as close as possible to the cat, inlcuding if possible muzzle contact, get low and shoot "up" for the spine, staying away from the head, since that has got to be near the victim.

As far as charges, I faced two which ended in shooting the animal. Both were elephants, neither was wounded, and both were unprovoked, in the sense that we were not at the time of the charge pursuing that elephant.

Dave Hulme shared one experience, the cow ele charge. We had backed as far away as we could while sticking together and without having to "break ranks" in very thick riverine bush and possibly loosing one of the party in the bush, and so loosing the ability to defend all of the party (of four - PH, me, Dave, tacker.)

The other elephant came up wind looking for us in thick, still green jess. We retreated about 10yds to a termite mound, which was relatively open and allowed all of us to stay together in sight, while he was coming upwind, unseen but not unheard. He almost passed by, but broke through the brush at seven yards and turned and came on.

Zambezi cows are cantakerous, but they are not the most aggressive or ill tempered elephants by a long shot, in my experience. That title must surely be held by the Save elephants and the Gonarheazhou elephants. I've been tracked by eles there, bulls and cows, for as much as a short mile. Dave was there for a couple of "dodge the following elephants" episodes. You start conting rounds when the cows are tracking you.

JPK

I have no DG experience, just 1 plains game trip.

I question, 1 comment.

Is there a reason Punki wore head-to-toe camo clothing? It seems blending in with the terrain was part of his wounding. Perhaps it is usual in that type of cat hunting?
My two trackers wore blue coveralls. They stuck out like a sore thumb in the mopane bush.

I, and my hunting partner, got the distinct impression that any of the 'boys' were pretty much expendable. We thought the camp dog got better treatment. It seems Punki is the exception to the rule. Perhaps DG trackers are different from PG trackers. I'd expound on this further, but I don't want to hijack this thread.

On DG trackers. Think about it, they lead as they track DG, but they are unarmed. Esentially they are leading the hunting party to potential trouble. Hunt DG enough and you will be charged, its an a priori probability equation. Hunt DG in some areas, like the Save, and that probability skyrockets.

While not every tracker will be staunch in a charge, not every hunter - armed - will be either!

DG trackers are, in my opinion, due great respect for their skill as well as their bravery.

The DG trackers who I have hunted with have all been respected as a valuable part of the team, as viewed by the PH, who consults with them re "plan of the day", tactics, approach, etc, etc...

And then all trackers, DG or not, are human beings. Thinking anyone is "disposable" is beyond low.

JPK

quote:

Originally posted by onefunzr2:

My two trackers wore blue coveralls. They stuck out like a sore thumb in the mopane bush.

I, and my hunting partner, got the distinct impression that any of the 'boys' were pretty much expendable. We thought the camp dog got better treatment.

Sounds like you picked the wrong fella to hunt with....Any PH who doesn't treat his trackers with respect deserves no respect himself. Whether it be DG or PG, the trackers are such an integral part of the team.

Dave

JPK -- I have to say that I have seen trackers that I would be happy standing next to when it gets ugly. I'd like to think they would say the same about me, but...

Hunting with Myles we did some practice shooting with the trackers taking turns and they did very well. Not all trackers are able to step up that way.

When it comes to the guy holding the flashlight on a problem animal at night, you better have full confidence in him. I did.

Behind the buffalo is Oriah, a very competent and brave tracker, ask JPK. We treat him with the same respect we treat all the trackers we work with - plenty of it.

quote:

You can also get hurt here at home...Here's a fellow and his son that were on the wrong of things when bird hunting here in Georgia.

Vic

That looks not Funny !!!

Seloushunter

quote:

Originally posted by JPK:
You start conting rounds when the cows are tracking you.

JPK

JPK,

Speaking of counting rounds...Remember this one?




And I just know you remember this one!!

quote:

Originally posted by daniel77:
Let me start by saying I've never been on safari. Someday.... I'm not trying to hijack the thread either, I just have a question for those of you who are experienced in DG hunting. How often do these charges really occur? I'm not speaking to the cats specifically. Another thread claims that more hunters are actually killed by Bufalo. I'm not trying to downplay the danger, I'm just curious on the true frequency of attacks. If someone was lucky enough to be on say 20 safaris and had hunted DG on them, would they probably have been charged yet, or is it unlikely?

I'm not an elephant hunter, but have had them charge our truck on occasion, and I assume they do chareg a lot but this is mostly about cats, and Buffalo!

That said Daniel, there are films on the market that would lead you to think eveything in Africa is going to charge you on sight, and on those films they do. Of course that is not the case in reality, In 65 yrs of continous hunting I've been charged only three times. The first two were in the USA, and both were serious but not life threatening. One was a badger that I had wounded, and thought was dead. I shot him with a .22 rifle in the head, but when I picked up one of his legs, he came alive, and finally put me in the back of my jeep, where I promptly gave him a couple more. The other was a big chow dog, which I gladly shot dead.

In Africa the third was a cape buffalo, who was not wounded, nor were we looking for him but stalking wildebeast, when he got our wind, I suppose and came full bore from some thick bush, sorted in time to save some of our skin, was just luck. In my experience, Buffalo rarely charge un-provoked. The buffalo is the one who decides what constitutes provication, however!

Your question of how often do these charges happen, is a good question that is not easily answered. I would say, however, of the species that IMO are the most likely to charge when wounded, and followed up No 1 is the leopard. I think this is because so many leopard are wounded for veriety of reasons. The charge is because he is so hard to see till he moves, and he doesn't move till you are close. He's fast,hard to hit,and harder to stop. So, he is the most likely to get to someone in the party, but the least likely to kill you. I would say the lion is No2, for the same reasons, but to a lessor degree, but is more likely to kill you.

Almost all charges are the result of a screw-up, either in the shot placement, mistakes made in the follow-up. Just shoot the target in the right place, and follow-up your shot with another if you can. Done well, the follow-up isn't a problem!

Gentlemen,

I hope this comment does not sound totally irrational. I am curious as with regard to cats if a taser might have a more immediate effect in controlling the animal short of a bullet to some part of the nervous system.
I have never owned one (taser) and do not have a clue as to their reliability or required maintenance. It may be more trouble than it is worth. However that 50,000 volts may cease things quickly. Then "plug" the animal in the event of a mauling.

In heavy cover they can be deflected... I also dont want to be the one testing it... I prefer my 450#2 500gr. equalizer... with 11K lb. attitude adjuster...

Mike

quote:

Originally posted by retreever:
I prefer my 450#2 500gr. equalizer... with 11K lb. attitude adjuster...

Mike

Yep,and guys like me who tag along like guys like you who pack those serious AA's!

This was our crew from my 2007 leopard hunt. Sniper camo is really preferred by the locals - it is a great pattern, and works. It allows you to get close to the cat for a good shot, without him jumping the tree, or worse, coming right through the dogs after you. Several people have had charges from non-wounded animals, when approaching too close.

quote:

Originally posted by mboga biga bwana:

quote:

You can also get hurt here at home...Here's a fellow and his son that were on the wrong of things when bird hunting here in Georgia.

Vic

That looks not Funny !!!

Seloushunter

Yes that was a tough deal; the father and son were hunting with another father/son combo and late in the day all four of them were up on a pointed covey. Having four hunters behind dogs is unusual for experienced hunters, but dangerous when some of them don't quite know what they're doing.
As the birds flushed, the young hunter in the second pair turned and shot far to his side as he followed the birds and whammed the dad in the second group. As bad as it was (with pellets in his liver and such), the guy that got hit felt it saved his son's life by him catching the brunt of the blast, something a smaller hunter may not have survived.

Blank that cats a beauty,well done!What did you shot it with?That hole looks big & placed very well.After reading & hunting my whole life,i was allways thinking i would pitch fork my barrel into what ever was on my friend and shoot it with the barrel stuck to the spot i wanted the bullet to travel hopefully in the side of the brain to take the top of the skull off with brains and lights out instantly..of course with the bullet path away from my friend..if i was being eaten alive,i wouldnt care where anyone was shooting,i would want to be "let go" as quickly as possible,if i got shot in the process i would not care because i would know my friend was trying there best to help free me,you roll the dice and hope for the best sometimes..Lifes never been perfect and everyone knows huntings not perfect..just my 2 cents..one of my favorite stories was one by PHC where a Lion was dragging a hunter in his mouth and the poor hunter remembered he had a knife he had stolen/Traded the nice knife from a cheese dish,he grabbed that knife while being dragged by the lion and stuck the Lion in the heart and it let him go & died,PHC said he was the only known hunter to have killed a lion with a knife!My Motto...Never surrender,Never give up..Before the movie The Ghost & The Darkness came out,i had read the story of the Lions & have seen the movie many times....I keep thinking of how close the lions came to being shot ...but had luck on there side so many times ...they were thought to be Ghost....

I just cannot imagine accidentally shooting a human. Some guy from Texas shot PH Howard Hunter and screwed Howard up for life. I just hope BB has access to funds to take care of the poor tracker and will make it right.

quote:
Originally posted by onefunzr2:

My two trackers wore blue coveralls. They stuck out like a sore thumb in the mopane bush.

I, and my hunting partner, got the distinct impression that any of the 'boys' were pretty much expendable. We thought the camp dog got better treatment.


Sounds like you picked the wrong fella to hunt with....Any PH who doesn't treat his trackers with respect deserves no respect himself. Whether it be DG or PG, the trackers are such an integral part of the team.

Dave

+1. Well said and gotta stop calling them "boys" too.

I would get just far enough away from its head to avoid muzzle blasting my expensive future mount.

Rich
Buff Killer

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
I would get just far enough away from its head to avoid muzzle blasting my expensive future mount.

Rich
Buff Killer

quote:

Originally posted by David Hulme:
Daniel,

I worked as an infield hunting journalist for five years, accompanying 20+ DG hunts and witnessed 2 serious charges, one elephant cow and one buffalo cow. In that time, the five PH's that I worked with experienced about 15 or so serious charges between them. An average of less than one a year per PH, and each guy was doing 150+ days a year. A couple of them were charged once, maybe twice in the five years, and a couple of others were on the receiving end 3 or 4 times. For 4 years nothing untoward happened - an incident now and then - and then we had 8 serious charges in one year - buffalox4, elephant cowsx3 and leopardx1... The buffalo and leopard were wounded and the ele cows were just mad. That same year - 2007 - many guys from other outfits had close shaves and several hunters were killed in Zim. I know of one tracker, one PH and one client who were killed that year,and quite a few guys were stomped, scratched etc....Just one guy's info, hope it helps to give you an idea. I think that at the end of the day one can't really get an idea, some days a diamond some days a stone...I started accompanying DG hunts in 1990, all the real charges I have witnessed can be counted on one hand. 5 to be precise - elephant cow, buffalox2, leopardx2. 50+ big game hunts....

David

Very informative post, David.

Thanks mate.