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Back With A Monster Leopard From Zimbabwe
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Hi Everyone: I just returned very late last evening from a 14 day hunt in Zimbabwe near West Nicholson with Georgia Safaris, John Hunt PH. I shot a monster 170 lb male leopard with a 17 2/16" skull, 8' long, 23" neck and 12" around the base of his tail. But the most amazing part of the hunt was the fact that we shot this old boy over his own kill-a female leopard, that he had killed earlier that morning and had partially eaten. As far as we can tell, no one else has ever done that. I will give everyone all of the details in a later report, along with pictures of the leopard and his female kill. Also shot bushpig, hyena, zebra, giraffe, civet, warthog, baboon, grey duiker, and 7 impala.
 
Posts: 18567 | Registered: 04 April 2005Reply With Quote
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welcome back. cant wait for the pictures!
 
Posts: 1662 | Location: Winston,Georgia | Registered: 07 July 2007Reply With Quote
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WOW
 
Posts: 159 | Location: Arizona | Registered: 12 February 2007Reply With Quote
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Double WOW!


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Posts: 4781 | Location: Story, WY / San Carlos, Sonora, MX | Registered: 29 May 2002Reply With Quote
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UEG

Yikes! What a cat.

Mark


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Posts: 13037 | Location: LAS VEGAS, NV USA | Registered: 04 August 2002Reply With Quote
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What a story.
Did the male kill the female at one of your bait sites or did you just happen to stumble on the kill site?
Was the male on the little lady when you walked up or did you "stake her out" after finding the body?
I know with the lateness of you arrival you could tell the whole story, but please share the rest, it's very intriguing.
 
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Triple WOW.
 
Posts: 570 | Location: Oklahoma | Registered: 12 November 2006Reply With Quote
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First, Mega congratulations... second I'll be anxiously awaiting the full story.






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Posts: 3611 | Location: LV NV | Registered: 22 October 2002Reply With Quote
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INCREDIBLE ! Not to sidetrack the thread but...is it still impossible to export female leopard from Zim? Even if I had to pay a moderate trophy fee (or heck even a direct bribe to someone in parks), I think I would try to get that female's skull home. I can very clearly imagine mounting both skulls side by side on a single shield. VERY appropriate I think. I doubt the female's hide was in any way salvageable or I would say you should try to reproduce the scene in the taxidermy! Talk about the ultimate predator/prey mount! WOW!

Hope you dont mind the suggestions.

tendrams
 
Posts: 2472 | Registered: 06 July 2008Reply With Quote
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CONGRATULATIONS!!!Looking forward to seeing the photos of the BIG cat.


Kathi

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Posts: 9517 | Location: Chicago | Registered: 23 July 2003Reply With Quote
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Congrats thumb. So there are still cannibals in Africa after all.
 
Posts: 3071 | Registered: 29 October 2005Reply With Quote
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Vaughn, way to go... Now lets get back to work...

The best,

Mike


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Posts: 6768 | Location: Wyoming, Pa. USA | Registered: 17 April 2003Reply With Quote
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Just a short follow-up. The big male had killed the female earlier that morning at about 6:00 am we figured, and we had found his tracks on the road at about 8:30 am. as they crossed the road along with the drag mark. Not knowing what the kill was, we followed the drag and tracks all the way across the veld about 500 yards to the base of a huge kopjie and then up to the top of the kopjie, where we were very surprised when we found the dead female hidden in some heavy brush near the base of a huge granite boulder near the top of the kopjie. She was still quite limber and had had only her chest eaten out. We consulted with the trackers who agreed that we needed to stake the rest of her down and set up the blind and a shooting lane for that evening, which we did as quietly as possible since we were in the big male's territory and feared spooking him off. The trackers were 100% sure that he'd be back to feed on her again. That's enough for now, as I'll tell the complete story once I get the photos ready. This is one for the magazines and I'm going to write the story up. As to the the female, we brought her remains down to camp (I have pictures of it on top of the kopjie as well as back at camp with the dead male leopard). The skulls were boiled out and I have pics of both of them together just shortly after being skinned as well as boiled out. The female's remaining hide was salted and dried as well and had to be turned over to the Jonsyl farm owner, Ivan duPlessis, and he kept it as I don't think that I could export it. Anyway, to top things off, I was privileged to run into veteran leopard PH Wayne Grant, and the author of "Into The Thorns, The Cattle Killing Leopard Of The Matopos Hills" at the elegant Victoria Falls Hotel in Vic Falls a number of days later, and was privileged to tell him my incredible story. He said that he had never ever heard of another hunter ever killing a huge male leopard off of a freshly killed leopard like that. It's not only the leopard of a lifetime, but the story of a lifetime as well.
 
Posts: 18567 | Registered: 04 April 2005Reply With Quote
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Must have been a homo-leopard Smiler Congrats my friend on another great cat! jorge


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Posts: 7149 | Location: Orange Park, Florida. USA | Registered: 22 March 2001Reply With Quote
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Originally posted by jorge:
Congrats my friend on another great cat! jorge


That is what I was thinking. He'll look great next to UEG's lion!


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Posts: 3521 | Location: Wyoming | Registered: 25 February 2005Reply With Quote
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UEG, you were in my favorite hunting grounds, literally. Fantastic area for big Toms. Congrats on your huge cat and the Hyena. They are not a cake walk to get.
Cheers,
David


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Took the wife the Eastern Cape for her first hunt:
http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6881000262
Hunting in the Stormberg, Winterberg and Hankey Mountains of the Eastern Cape 2018
http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/4801073142
Hunting the Eastern Cape, RSA May 22nd - June 15th 2007
http://forums.accuratereloadin...=810104007#810104007
16 Days in Zimbabwe: Leopard, plains game, fowl and more:
http://forums.accuratereloadin...=212108409#212108409
Natal: Rhino, Croc, Nyala, Bushbuck and more
http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6341092311
Recent hunt in the Eastern Cape, August 2010: Pics added
http://forums.accuratereloadin...261039941#9261039941
10 days in the Stormberg Mountains
http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/7781081322
Back in the Stormberg Mountains with friends: May-June 2017
http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6001078232

"Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading" - Thomas Jefferson

Every morning the Zebra wakes up knowing it must outrun the fastest Lion if it wants to stay alive. Every morning the Lion wakes up knowing it must outrun the slowest Zebra or it will starve. It makes no difference if you are a Zebra or a Lion; when the Sun comes up in Africa, you must wake up running......

"If you're being chased by a Lion, you don't have to be faster than the Lion, you just have to be faster than the person next to you."
 
Posts: 6825 | Location: Tennessee | Registered: 18 December 2006Reply With Quote
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Congrats and double-congrats Vaughan! I can't wait to see the pictures and read your hunt report!


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Posts: 7560 | Location: Victoria, Texas | Registered: 30 March 2003Reply With Quote
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that is way too cool. Congrats. Look forward to see the pics also clap


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Posts: 1366 | Location: SPARTANBURG SOUTH CAROLINA | Registered: 02 July 2008Reply With Quote
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Excellent, simply excellent. Bring on the whole story.


Mike
 
Posts: 21720 | Registered: 03 January 2006Reply With Quote
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Sounds incredible - congrats on that huge TOM!!!


Good Hunting,

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Posts: 2981 | Location: Lexington, KY | Registered: 13 January 2005Reply With Quote
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Very interesting. Congrats on a great cat and a great story to go along with it. The base of the tail was a foot in diameter?!? Eeker


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Posts: 4168 | Location: Texas | Registered: 18 June 2001Reply With Quote
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I have heard about this happening before in India! Its documented in a book which I can't remember the name now, but it's certainly uncommon.
 
Posts: 2573 | Location: New York, USA | Registered: 13 March 2005Reply With Quote
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UEG - Welcome back. Wow, congratulations on your success. Can't wait for your report and pics.


Ahmed Sultan
 
Posts: 733 | Registered: 29 June 2007Reply With Quote
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I have never heard of such a thing! Ex Africa semper aliquid novi.

Amazing! I wonder what would induce a male leopard to do something like that?

Divorce, jungle-style? Ouch!

Great story, UEG, and congratulations on taking that big boy.

It could get expensive, though, shooting leopard to use as leopard bait!


Mike

Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer.
 
Posts: 13686 | Location: New England | Registered: 06 June 2003Reply With Quote
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Okay. As promised here are some of the pics. I will post a report in the coming days.
 
Posts: 18567 | Registered: 04 April 2005Reply With Quote
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All I can say is OUTSTANDING! Congrats on a super-tom and a story of a lifetime. You did good, thanks for getting us a pic.
David
PS: I think I have the scenario figured out UEG. Your Tom came upon his "girl" and she was doing the nasty with another Tom. Being superior, he ran the punk off and killed his girlfriend for cheating. To add insult to injury, he partly consumed her. Feeling guilty half way through the meal, and getting his composure back, he made a feable attempt to bury her. When he came back to complete the burial....well, luck was shining on you! Reckon that's what happened? Big Grin


Gray Ghost Hunting Safaris
http://grayghostsafaris.com Phone: 615-860-4333
Email: hunts@grayghostsafaris.com
NRA Benefactor
DSC Professional Member
SCI Member
RMEF Life Member
NWTF Guardian Life Sponsor
NAHC Life Member
Rowland Ward - SCI Scorer
Took the wife the Eastern Cape for her first hunt:
http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6881000262
Hunting in the Stormberg, Winterberg and Hankey Mountains of the Eastern Cape 2018
http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/4801073142
Hunting the Eastern Cape, RSA May 22nd - June 15th 2007
http://forums.accuratereloadin...=810104007#810104007
16 Days in Zimbabwe: Leopard, plains game, fowl and more:
http://forums.accuratereloadin...=212108409#212108409
Natal: Rhino, Croc, Nyala, Bushbuck and more
http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6341092311
Recent hunt in the Eastern Cape, August 2010: Pics added
http://forums.accuratereloadin...261039941#9261039941
10 days in the Stormberg Mountains
http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/7781081322
Back in the Stormberg Mountains with friends: May-June 2017
http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6001078232

"Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading" - Thomas Jefferson

Every morning the Zebra wakes up knowing it must outrun the fastest Lion if it wants to stay alive. Every morning the Lion wakes up knowing it must outrun the slowest Zebra or it will starve. It makes no difference if you are a Zebra or a Lion; when the Sun comes up in Africa, you must wake up running......

"If you're being chased by a Lion, you don't have to be faster than the Lion, you just have to be faster than the person next to you."
 
Posts: 6825 | Location: Tennessee | Registered: 18 December 2006Reply With Quote
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Wow! Congratulations Really Wow!
I have dreams about hunting a cat like that.

Not that it matters a lot, but besides that huge leopard I see a very nice rifle in the photos. What is it and what caliber?
 
Posts: 442 | Location: Montana territory | Registered: 02 July 2005Reply With Quote
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Fantastic cat with a added bonus.....very jealous !!!! Congrats and thanks for sharing!


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Posts: 444 | Location: south texas | Registered: 10 March 2006Reply With Quote
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It's a Model 70 Winchester in .375, rebuilt for me by LeRoy Barry at Canyon Creek Custom Gunstocks. It has the Leupold 3.5x10 50mm illuminated recticle, which came in very handy with the leopard. I love that gun and it has killed my lion and leopard, along with a number of other African big game and small game animals.
 
Posts: 18567 | Registered: 04 April 2005Reply With Quote
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Reckon you must have used enough gun. Mssr Ruark would be proud.
My own Model 70 is not for sale at any price, also a .375 and fortunate to have a .300 H&H Model 70 as well.

I got ta get back over there soon. Again, congratulations.
 
Posts: 442 | Location: Montana territory | Registered: 02 July 2005Reply With Quote
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Awesome cat and a great story to go with it.

Jeff
 
Posts: 2857 | Location: FL | Registered: 18 September 2007Reply With Quote
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Congratulations on a nice cat....... might I suggest that the half eaten one is actually a cub and was probably killed because the big male saw it as possible future competition.

It's a very unusual way to take a Leopard and congratulations for that, but it's not uncommon for them to kill young (even their own young) of their own species.

Its actually a great shame you can't get an export permit for the cub as well....... just think what a fantastic mount you have had done!






 
Posts: 12415 | Registered: 01 July 2002Reply With Quote
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OMG! What an amazing story, and fabulous leopard. Many congratulations again, on the experience of a life time. Great photos, and can't wait for a full follow-up.
 
Posts: 1517 | Location: Idaho Falls, Idaho | Registered: 03 June 2004Reply With Quote
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Steve: Actually the leopard kill was a young female and did not appear to be a cub, young, but older, and had had only had a portion of her chest eaten out when we found her. She was still limber and we examined her very closely. The big male was very nervous that evening and ate nearly 1/2 of her before I finally had the right angle and opportunity to shoot him. Yes, it was the kill of a lifetime! My first thoughts were also for a double trophy mount showing the half eaten female, but I was told that I couldn't import her. Her skull and remaining hide are with Ivan duPlessis at Jonsyl Farm. Smiler Smiler
 
Posts: 18567 | Registered: 04 April 2005Reply With Quote
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Vaughn,

Outstanding

Mike thumb


Michael Podwika... DRSS bigbores and hunting www.pvt.co.za " MAKE THE SHOT " 450#2 Famars
 
Posts: 6768 | Location: Wyoming, Pa. USA | Registered: 17 April 2003Reply With Quote
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This will make a great magazine story. Amazing!


Kathi

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708-425-3552

"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page."
 
Posts: 9517 | Location: Chicago | Registered: 23 July 2003Reply With Quote
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Unbielvable tom!!!
 
Posts: 2164 | Registered: 13 February 2006Reply With Quote
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Awesome cat! Thanks for the photos.


Mike

Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer.
 
Posts: 13686 | Location: New England | Registered: 06 June 2003Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by mrlexma:

Amazing! I wonder what would induce a male leopard to do something like that?

Divorce, jungle-style? Ouch!



I'm guessing she wouldn't put out??

Congrats on the cat!!


Graybird

"Make no mistake, it's not revenge he's after ... it's the reckoning."
 
Posts: 3722 | Location: Okie in Falcon, CO | Registered: 01 July 2004Reply With Quote
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Nice rifle Vaughn, what is it? Also, it looks like a Leupie with the ill reticle? I'd be interested in what your thoughts are on the scope and the ill reticle. I have the same scope installed on my leopard rifle. Well my "eventual" leopard rifle anyway! jorge


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Cogswell & Harrison 375 Fl NE
Sabatti Big Five 375 FL Magnum NE
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Posts: 7149 | Location: Orange Park, Florida. USA | Registered: 22 March 2001Reply With Quote
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