Outfitter : Mbalabala Safaris, July 2023
PH and owner : Lin Stanton, follow his hunts on Instagram @ Mbalabala Safaris
PH, Pierre, helped hang and check baits and make late night drags
Booking agent : Mark Young, MEA
Videographer : Roy Aylward, Karamojo Hunting
Area : Makuti, Zimbabwe




I am still in disbelief, three years ago I would not have ever dreamed of hunting leopard, much less lion and leopard, then to take both on my first try on the same hunt, words cannot describe how I feel.
It all started when I was talking to Mark Young (MEA) about another hunt and he just mentioned if I thought I would ever want to hunt leopard I probably should go ahead with the political situation the way it is. I decide to go ahead and booked with Lin Stanton, Mbalabala Safaris. During the next few weeks, while communicating with Mark, he said with Lin's lion hunt you could hunt leopard also just for the trophy fee when you got one. He runs 80% on lions and 100% with leopard in Makuti. I thought about it for a few days then called the kids and told them I was going to spend their inheritance and booked for a lion and leopard hunt.

We knew that it would be a challenge to hang enough bait for both cats, so the first day we went to Lake Kariba to get a hippo and several impala. Hippos in Lake Kariba come out of the water about 10 o'clock to warm up so you hunt them on land which is a blast. We found a group of 6 that had a big bull, and with no cover you have to use the folds in the land. Managing to get close enough for a shot without spooking them or the big croc that was lying close by was difficult but Lin did his thing, I made a good shot and the bull dropped. While the guys were butchering the bull, we got 3 impala. Got back to camp in time to hang the first bait. We have bait and the hunt is on.

Next day we hung baits and cameras. Pierre, the other PH in camp helped us hang and check baits, went to check the bait we hung the day before and it was GONE. Poachers had taken a hind quarter of a big hippo bull. Pierre made a call to Henry Mcillwaine who runs IAPF( International Anti Poaching Fund). IAPF is a private organization that goes into an area and puts out the word that if you report poaching you will be given an award, that gives them a tremendous network of entail coming in. IAPF does all the work, parks comes in and arrest the poacher. Parks does nothing but the end result is they are caught. Long story short, the guys who took the bait were arrested. Henry came into camp and I got to talk to him at some length and was impressed with their work. In areas that they are in, the wildlife increases.
By day 3, we had 4 leopard and several lion on bait. One camera had 6 lioness and a young male. They eat a lot of meat so I shot a kudu to hang. One leopard looked particularly good and he was feeding during the day. We would check the pics tomorrow and if he fed again we would built a blind and sit in the afternoon.

We sat and he came in but it was to dark for me to clearly see him, even with a lighted reticle. I tried my best but all I could see clearly was his head and I sure didn't want to wound him especially with it dark, so I passed but the ole heart was thumping.
I had always heard cat hunting was days of boredom with a few seconds of elation but this hunt was not like that. There was a total of 11 male leopard on bait. On day 7 we had a lion feeding on the bait where the leopard came in to late. In the pics he looked a little to young but Lin wanted to take a closer look so we would sit the next day if the pics showed he was still feeding. When we pulled up to the bait, the lion was 20 yards away, by the time we got out of the truck and before Lin could get a good look, he had wandered of into the brush carry a piece of meat. We would definitely sit that afternoon to get a better look but from the quick glance we got he looked promising. We came back in the afternoon, get settled into the blind, truck drives off and within a couple of min. he walks up. He had to be within 75 yards while we put our gear in the blind. I had the safety off, sight right behind his shoulder with my finger on the trigger when Lin said "Don't shoot, don't shoot. He's a little to young". We watched him for 20 min., walking around, feeding, he laid down, smelled of the camera then walked off. Talking about an adrenaline rush, having a lion at 40 yards doing what lions do.

On the 10th day, saw 2 lions on the main road. One was lying down in the road with 3 cars stopped taking pictures. We pulled up beside him and he slowly walks off, growls at us twice and meanders off into the brush. Big male lions are so arrogant. Lin made plans to put up a bait where he thought the lions would go, that really gave us high hopes.
That afternoon, we sat on a leopard and he came in but Lin though we could do a little better so I passed. Watched him for 30 min. before we called the truck in. Told Lin I was getting a lot of practice, in 3 days I had passed up a lion and leopard. The excitement level was sky high. Roy and I were kidding Lin about this was not a photographic safari but a hunting safari. Little did I know how quick that would change.
The plan for the next day was check the new bait, if they had fed we would put up a blind and sit the afternoon. Lin wanted to walk into the bait incase they were lying around but we didn't see them although there was a big track in the road. Lin called in the truck and as they were pulling up to the bait the guys on the truck saw the 2 lions on a small ridge 75 yards away. Things got real exciting then, lowered the bait so they could feed easier and headed out as fast as we could. Lin wanted him, Roy and I to walk beside the truck as it left and hide behind a small burned out bush 35 yards away to see if the lions would come back right away. As the truck was pulling off, the guys on the truck were saying, "He's coming, he's coming." I was trying to get on the sticks, Lin was trying to find the lion, Roy was getting the camera rolling. Since there was 2 lions, I wanted to make sure this was the one we wanted to shoot, Lin found the lion, determined it was the one we wanted and said "Shoot when he gets clear." I shot, he went straight down and didn't move for a few seconds but then started rolling around and growling. Lin said "Don't shot him in the head, Don't shot him in the head." I got an opening for his opposite shoulder and he laid down and died. It happened that fast, within 45 seconds after the truck pulled off. Lin was trying to shake my hand but I was still aiming at the lion, scared he would get up and run off. He convinced me it wasn't going anywhere, that's when the hand shakes, hugs and high fives began. As I stood next to the lion, it was like I was having an out of body experience. I looked at the lion and knew I had just taken him, but it was more than I could process.


The whole team worked so hard, even the game scout. We all shared in the joy. It was a tradition to fire 3 shots when you get close to camp to let the camp staff know we took a lion and by the time we pulled into camp they were dancing, beating on the trash can drum. They hugged me and a big guy grabbed me from behind and picked me up while he was jumping up and down. It was special for everyone in camp.

After a lion is taken, Lin always goes to the Wart Hog, a little pub- restaurant on Lake Kariba. Had a nice meal with a great view, people were coming up congratulating us. It was a special occasion. A couple of Lin's friends were invited to join us for dinner to celebrate. I don't drink but I toasted with my Mazoe orange.

The next day we took down all the lion baits, split them into and hung them up high just for leopard. Next couple of days were a little slow, the leopard we passed is still feeding. There is another one feeding that looks good so we will check the bait in the morning, if he is still feeding we will sit in the afternoon. We go back, late in the day the baboons went crazy, some franklin close to the bait flushed and raised cane but he never got in the tree. There was some long grass and bushes at the base of the tree and we could not see on the ground. We checked the camera several days later and the leopard was setting at the base of the tree but we could not see him.
Next morning we go back to the leopard we passed up. Got settled in as a little pink was beginning to show in the east. At 7:00 he came in but started feeding on the buffalo carcass that was on the ground for the hyenas and fed for over an hour before I got a shot. The shot felt good, looked good on video but you are never certain till you walk up on him and see him lying dead. The wind was blowing hard so you would not have seen the grass move if he came for you. It was waist high grass and tense for 40 yards when we saw him dead.

There was 3 days left in the hunt so we went to Mana Pools Park where we saw Boswell, he is a famous elephant with big tusks. If you watch Tracks across Africa, Buzz tracked this bull and got up close on him, turned and walked away because he is a legacy.

We also saw 3 lions put a stalk on some wart hogs but they were not successful.

Last day went tiger fishing and I caught my first tiger fish. That was the only fish caught but it was an enjoyable day seeing elephant, hippo and crocks.
The phrase once in a life time is over used but this case, it truly was once in a life time experience.

After I got home Lin sent me a pic of the skull and he found a hole in it. Had to be an old wound, suffered from a possible bite and it was not a scare on the hide.

This guys worked together so well, been with Lin for23 years. It was a pleasure to hunt with them. Left to right, Vumani, JB, Kulv

The lake was so blue, beautiful.

Makuti has some BIG hills.


I think the thing that impressed me most was the size of the feet and shoulders. So much power.


Those guys could climb anything. JB was the tree climber but he didn't go up this high tree, Vumani climbed this one every time had to change bait.

Congrats and well done, that was a fantastic safari! Hell of lion!

Thanks for posting the pictures and report, what a great safari. Great job by you, Lin, and the guys. Big congrats!

Some beautiful cats. Good shooting! I'm sure you'll remember this the rest of your life. Thanks for sharing.
Bruce

Randy,

Nicely done with the report and pix. Hunting the big cats is something very special and I am so glad I twisted your arm just a little.

Huge congrats from Sadie and I.

Mark

Congrats and a great hunt!

You should be proud of everything that happened there!

Great, great hunt! Congratulations, again. Lin really has a great outfit.

Appears to have been a great hunt.

A great crew to support your quest, and it all fell into place for you.

Great report Randy. Congrats on living the dream. Well done my friend!!

Very well done!

Congratulations and thanks for sharing your excellent report.

Outstanding report and pics, Randy! Congrats!

Great cats!

Excellent result and very well done

Awesome report and that Lion is simply magnificent. A full body mount would be super pricey but well worth the expense for such an ancient monarch.

Randy, that is just fantastic. Congratulations

quote:

Originally posted by Bud Meadows:
Awesome report and that Lion is simply magnificent. A full body mount would be super pricey but well worth the expense for such an ancient monarch.

A full body is expensive but, to me, a male lion deserves to be mounted that way. They are so majestic, so powerful and big. You can't show that without being a full body mount.

I agree 100%.

Mine takes up a lot of real estate in my trophy room but he truly deserves it.

I can’t tell you how many friends and guests have commented favorably on him (and had photos of themselves taken next to him).



You will never regret it.

Randy

Consider a full mount of your leopard as well. I texted you a picture of mine. Perfect in my dining room

quote:

Originally posted by DoubleDon:
Randy

Consider a full mount of your leopard as well. I texted you a picture of mine. Perfect in my dining room

I am, a leopard lying on a limb really looks nice. Thanks for sending the pic , he looks good.

Randy,

I'm going to make a suggestion on your cat mounts. I did two leopards and a lion life size sitting like a dog. The advantage to that is you can move them around with ease, they take up less room than the lying down or standing mount and with no environment they are much less expensive. The other lion and leopard I did as rugs which look great also.

Mark

What a tremendous safari! Two different and huge cats in one trip. Can’t top that!

Congratulations sir!

quote:

Originally posted by surefire7:
What a tremendous safari! Two different and huge cats in one trip. Can’t top that!

Congratulations sir!

The saying "Once in a life time" is over used, but in this case, it truly was a once in a life time hunt. I could not have possibly asked for anything more. When I go back and read the report, just have to shake my head.

Congratulations on a great hunt for two of Africa's finest and most difficult trophies! Everyone loves it when a plan comes together and yours certainly did. Thanks for the report.

Perfect! Congratulations and thank you for the report!

Fantastic safari!!
Well done and thanks for sharing!!