Many of the guys commenting on leopard hunting have not ever hunted a leopard. (I'm thinking that's the case, just based on many of their comments.) Now that in itself doesn't exclude them from commenting, because opinions are readily welcome on this forum. They fly as freely as tsetses on a Tanzania gut pile.

But I'd just like to say, that getting the leopard in the tree is only part of the "hunt." A very difficult part. Whether the team of hunters and trackers uses a trail cam or whatever. The cameras also help PH's determine the gender. They look at the ring around the cat's neck, or a pattern of rosettes on the left shoulder to be able to identify that cat as the one they've seen on the camera, when it reappears in the tree. Sometime due to light conditions, PH's have so precious time to call the shot, so it helps them to have seen a certain cat before perhaps on the trail camera

Also we don't shoot every cat that comes into a tree. I've passed on some toms because the PH and I have agreed we can hold out for a larger cat.

The shot itself is the "most difficult easiest shot you'll ever encounter on safari." Many and I mean many hunters miss on leopards. "Leopard fever", that uncontrollable shaking and hyperventilation you're stricken with when you're looking through the scope, overcomes you sometimes causing you to miss the entire cat.

And the reason you see occasional leopard charges, for example the one that involved John Greeff, is because unfortunately sometimes a not so good shot is made on a leopard.

So I just wanted to put that out there, after reading the thread about Chris and his client's leopard. Getting the leopard in the tree is not tantamount with killing the leopard. The client still has to make a good shot. For every safari in which I've taken a leopard, it has been the shortest shot I've executed. But I'll admit it has been the most difficult shot too.

Really?

Bwana - Exactly one of the topics we cover at SCI!

Agreed!

My only thing, is that I would want to "suffer" if that is the operative word; a couple nights. If you book a two week hunt for Leopard, and get it the first or second night, do you get a refund?
If not, what passes the rest of the time?

MY total Leopard experience is having one walk around my tent one night and keep coughing outside this flimsy screen of a window...

Rich
Rich

quote:

If you book a two week hunt for Leopard, and get it the first or second night, do you get a refund?

I hope not!

I hate to recall all the freezing cold nights I spent in Leopard blinds or with Elephants walking around the blind prior to finally getting Chui. I know some folks shoot a Leopard on their first try, but for me it was the toughest of the Big 5, along with my Lion which took 32 days total of dedicated Lion hunting. When you get a shot on cats, you must make it perfect.

Leopard hunting can be both unbelievably easy and unbelievably hard -- Luck seems to play a bigger role in hunting Mr. Spots than in any other type of hunting I've ever tried.

I'm very night blind, which makes it especially difficult for me; and, I hunt exclusively with handguns, which makes it harder still. But, for me, that's what it's all about, defeating both the cat and my own personal handicaps - those self-imposed and those imposed by fortune and genetics.

If it was always easy, the Leopard hunt wouldn't be so popular. For me, there's nothing quite as challenging and there's nothing I would rather do, especially since many of the things I've experienced in a remote Leopard blind, when there are no cats around, make up many of my most treasured memories of Africa. Often, actually taking a Leopard is just a tad more gravy on top of an already remarkable experience.

quote:

Originally posted by OldHandgunHunter:
Leopard hunting can be both unbelievably easy and unbelievably hard -- Luck seems to play a bigger role in hunting Mr. Spots than in any other type of hunting I've ever tried.

Without meaning to be confrontational, I'd disagree with that. (IMO) the most important single factor in hunting ol' Mr Spots is the skill of the individual PH in getting a shootable cat to bait.

quote:

Originally posted by shakari:

quote:

Originally posted by OldHandgunHunter:
Leopard hunting can be both unbelievably easy and unbelievably hard -- Luck seems to play a bigger role in hunting Mr. Spots than in any other type of hunting I've ever tried.

Without meaning to be confrontational, I'd disagree with that. (IMO) the most important single factor in hunting ol' Mr Spots is the skill of the individual PH in getting a shootable cat to bait.

I won't argue that the skill of the PH isn't the single most important factor -- I have all the faith in the world in both of the PH's I use exclusively -- but, that doesn't change my view that luck plays a bigger role in Leopard hunting than any other hunting that I've tried. On an individual hunt, the PH has to be both good and lucky, IMHO.

quote:

Originally posted by OldHandgunHunter:

quote:

Originally posted by shakari:

quote:

Originally posted by OldHandgunHunter:
Leopard hunting can be both unbelievably easy and unbelievably hard -- Luck seems to play a bigger role in hunting Mr. Spots than in any other type of hunting I've ever tried.

Without meaning to be confrontational, I'd disagree with that. (IMO) the most important single factor in hunting ol' Mr Spots is the skill of the individual PH in getting a shootable cat to bait.

I won't argue that the skill of the PH isn't the single most important factor -- I have all the faith in the world in both of the PH's I use exclusively -- but, that doesn't change my view that luck plays a bigger role in Leopard hunting than any other hunting that I've tried. On an individual hunt, the PH has to be both good and lucky, IMHO.

Hunting cats, skill only gets you in the game. Luck closes the deal, just like Handgun says!!

besides the leopard fever, i do believe that one of the reasons shots are missed is that people are looking so intently at this beautiful cat that took so much to get in the right position that they forget to put the crosshairs on the cat and rather just sort of center it in the scope

I agree that leopard hunting is really difficult. For me, it was 3 safari's (2 in blinds and one with dogs) and a total of 35 before I did get one. The last safari was with dogs. Although I was less than 30 yards away, and the leopard treed in perfect morning sunlight, it was one of the most difficult shots I've ever had. I just couldn't focus I was so excited to finally see a leopard in a tree!

All very good points. Time-luck-and a good shot and you have your cat. But all those factors on a given hunt can be the difference between a dead cat or no.
Good post Mark