Well, it's about time I posted at least one of my hunts. This one will always be in my mind.

DATE: September 1 to September 21
OUTFITTER: Johnny DuPlooy/Muchinga Adventures
BOOKING AGENT: John Barth/Adventures Unlimited
LOCATION: Upper Luangwa River, Chanjuzi GMA
PH: Alister Norton, age 27, well experienced, nephew of Johnny's.
RIFLE: Sako AIV, .375 H & H Magnum
SCOPE: Leupold Vari X II, 2.5 X 8
BULLET: Factory loaded, 285 grain Speer Grand Slam
ZAMBIA LAW: No pre-baiting, no night/spotlight hunting allowed. Daylight hours only.

The Mopane Flies were not as bad as I thought they would be as Alister and I settled into our plastic chairs screened by our newly made grass walled blind. The flies screamed at us that morning as we reset the bait. They were incessant. But now, at 3:30 PM, they had strangely disappeared.

The cat had hit our new bait, this time a Puku, the night before. He had bitten through the ribs like candy. Females don't do this and I could feel the excitement in the staff as they busied themselves reskirting the bait and masterminding our "hide". We knew he was here the previous day when he had completely destroyed our Impala bait. He hadn't wasted any time on this one either!





Only two days before I had turned down another Tom. Alister said we could do better. "This cat is only 6' 10". I can get you a bigger one Bwana, but it's up to you". I had the cat in my crosshairs but decided to listen to my PH, as tough as it was to do, and put my rifle down.

Now in our newly constructed blind, I went over in my mind time and time again the "perfect shot". Might as well, there's not much else to do but think! With a small stick I drew silently in the dirt the outline of a Leopard's shoulder and then with the point of the stick, placed a hole in that outline right in middle of the shoulder. Somehow, I knew it would be a broadside shot and it would be into his right shoulder.

Three members of the staff and my good buddy, you all know as SBT, waited in the Landcruiser about a mile away. They were to come upon the sound of a shot or by 7PM, whichever came first.

Sweat still lingered on our faces, there was no cooling breeze and at 4PM my thermometer showed 92 degrees F. Alister quietly read his book when we heard the noise.

The sound came from behind us. It was the sound of a human walking to our blind. The leaves on the forest floor gave him away. No way could this be an animal, way to much noise! I looked at Alister and mouthed the words, "what the f**k"? Alister raised his index finger to his mouth, indicating to remain silent. I just knew one of the guys from the truck was walking in on us for some unknown reason.

"Oh shit" I thought to myself. "It's him, it's my cat". "Oh shit"!

And then, Mr. Spots did something neither of us expected, he lay himself right next to the wall of our blind. If one ever needed to remain silent, this was the time. Not a whisper, not a nod, not a move, not anything, nada. It was now that I realized that this was for real, that I had better not blow it. The staff and Alister had worked to hard for me to screw things up. Self made pressure began to mount and my mind began going blank. Going into my "automatic mode", a mode that is primordial. The mode I need to be in when the "chips are down".

A few minutes passed, but I can't tell you how many, when the Leopard arose from his bed and began to walk toward the bait tree in front of us. Alister carefully watched him, while I kept my head down and away from my shooting hole so the cat could not see any movement. It was just before 6PM.

Finally, Alister motioned for me to go for it. We had a miscommunication so I just nodded my head that I knew he was at the tree. Alister again communicated but this time made it clear that it was time to shoot! Whispering,he said, "shoot the fu****g Leopard, he's on the bait"! This is what I like about the English language, it is so easy to understand!!

As I peered through my scope, I could see old Tom reaching out with his right paw and working on the grass skirt that shielded the Puku from from the keen eyes of vultures. He was trying to pull the skirt toward himself. I needed to wait for that right leg to come back and be parallel to his body. On the second stroke of his leg, I pulled the trigger and as the scope rose, I caught a glimpse of his body going down.

Alister was quietly going nuts! Patting me on the back. "Nice shot Bwana, nice shot". "Are you sure"? I asked. "Yes, yes he was dead before he left the branch". "What do we do now"? Was my next question of genuis. "We wait for the boys to come" he responded. Now, if he was so sure that I had killed Mr. Spots, why do we have to wait for the boys to come? So, what he was telling me was "well, I'm pretty sure you killed him, but maybe not"!

The time was 6:03 when the Sako sounded off and at about 6:15 the boys arrived at the blind. Now, many people think that there is no way you can miss something as big as a Leopard at 45 yards but let me tell you, it can be done. I just hoped, with all of the adrenaline flowing, that I was not going to be one!

Alister and I boarded the Land Cruiser, he with his 12 gauge pump on the right side and me with my rifle on the left side. SBT was also armed but I can't tell where he was, I was to intent looking at the base of that tree!

Slowly we approached. The diesel engine drowning out any hope of hearing the Leopard coming for us. Within seconds we were at the tree and one of guys spotted the Leopard. He was, indeed, deader than a doornail. The whole world just lifted from my shoulders. Congratulaitons went all around. The cat was beautiful and he was mine!!

On our way back to camp, Alister instructed me to fire two shots into the air so the staff in camp knew we were successful. That night was a big night. Drums,beer, singing, beer, dancing, beer.............it was much fun. But that was just the Leopard story, you should hear the Dugga Boy story! Oh, and you know the little picture I drew in the dirt while in the blind? Well, it worked, just like I drew it!

John

John,

I'm, glad to be the first to read and congratulate you again....on a great cat!!!



Mike

quote:

Alister again communicated but this time made it clear that it was time to shoot! Whispering,he said, "shoot the fu****g Leopard, he's on the bait"! This is what I like about the English language, it is so easy to understand!!

Man, I can see him doing that in my mind's eye right now and am chuckling to myself!

Great story and a super tom..... look forward to the buff story as well and get Scott moving to tell some stories of his own! You guys had a fantastic hunt and we would like to hear it first hand.

Congrats again.

I'll try to help

[Thanks for the help - I think I have his photos posted in his original post, so I have deleted your photo posts. Again, thanks for the help. Regards, Terry]

Great story and beautiful cat!

Thanks for the great story. That is an excellent cat. I'm going to have to go to Zambia.

Nice kitty!

Atticus and Terry-THANK YOU!

John

congatulations!!! super story and cat!!!

Congratulations, beautiful cat. I'm booked with Johnny DuPlooy for 2008. You're getting me excited.

Good job, how do you keep from peeing ourself when a leopard lays next to the blind!!!!

Dulcinea

Well told story. Congratulations. There is nothing like the happiness and relief during a ride back to camp with a dead leopard in the back.

I wanna cat!

Great job!! What did he weigh?

Those are the only two photos you'll ever see of John with a smile. But on a hunt like that, who wouldn't be! Well done Johnboy!

John, you have well captured the feelings that sweep over a man waiting in a leopard blind, and waiting, and waiting and then waiting some more, for his cat to arrive and offer him a shot.

I have never drawn a picture, although it seems to have worked for you! Usually I just read and nod off (yes, it is possible to fall asleep in a leopard blind).

It's just plain tedious and boring, beyond belief or the ability to communicate just how tedious and boring it can be, until it bloody well isn't, and then, for just a few adrenaline-filled moments, it's all-consuming and nearly overwhelming excitement!

Congratulations on making your shot and bagging a great leopard!

Congratulations on a great cat. It reminded me of my time in a leopard blind and why silence is the name of the game.

Congratulation on a nice Leopard and thank you for the report


Hamdeni

Wolfgar- Sorry it took so long to respond. I have been in North Dakota pheasant hunting. There were no scales at the camp but I estimated him to be somewhere around 160 pounds. Alister, the PH, estimated him to be 7'2".

Thanks all for the comments!

John

You quess sounds right to me...beautiful cat in the prime of his life...that is, until YOU came along!!

That is one heck of a cat! I need one just like it to complete my magnificent seven.

Great cat John, he's a super trophy from an experience that you can be proud of. I look at the one Fred got me in the Caprivi all the time, by far my most treasured mount.

Not many guys pass up an "almost 7-foot" leopard! But you are right, the Lower Lupande a few concessions away was also crawling with cats. The Luangwa is a wonderful stretch of river.

Nice buffalo too! A story pending on this old guy perhaps???

Thanks Bill. The Dugga Boy story will be coming soon. I have to upload some pics this weekend and then will file a report.

John

WOW, fantastic hunt and cat. I have now added another article of clothing for my next trip. Disposable underware!
Dan

John,
I noticed that you used John Barth....so did I, wasn't he great? I will definetly use him again!

Wolfgar- yes. We were very pleased with John's services and professionalism.

John

John,
Isn't the Leopard the most beautiful animal ever created? I was shocked with it's beauty, and never thought they were so beautiful!
Dead weight right?? I see you were struggling too!