I mistakenly posted this in the African Big Game Hunting forum. It belongs here.



Last June I had a terrific Leopard hunt with Dirk Rohrmann in Namibia. My wife recently reminded me that I never posted a report though.

I thought I would post a few pictures from the trip, my wife's first hunt in Africa and my first hunt for dangerous game.

My wife's first African animal, a terrific Oryx Bull


Problem Animal Control


There where plenty of Leopards around





One of the baits


A hit




We brought a trail camera with us that had an IR flash, here are the first and only pictures we got of him. The next day we built a blind and then the weather turned against us. The temperature dropped to -10 Celsius at night for the next several nights and it even rained one day. After many cold hours in the blind over the next several nights, no other leopards came in. That's hunting.

The one that got away...











The shot I have dreamed of for years



Well he is still there and I'm saving up for another trip.

Success comes in many forms. I'll never forget the look on my wife's face after her great shot on the Oryx, nor will I ever forget sitting in the blind those evenings, looking up at the Southern Cross, listening to every sound in the bush and waiting on pins and needles for him to come in. That is what hunting is all about!

Thanks again Dirk, It was a great hunt!

Loved seeing the pics again! You will get him next time.

Looks like an excellent specimen of leopard, Atticus - and there is no doubt that he is a smart one!

Great photos, and I agree with your attitude toward hunting. We all hope for and work toward killing our quarry, but there is far more to a "successful" hunt than making the kill.

Congratulations!

quote:

Originally posted by mrlexma:
Looks like an excellent specimen of leopard, Atticus - and there is no doubt that he is a smart one!

Great photos, and I agree with your attitude toward hunting. We all hope for and work toward killing our quarry, but there is far more to a "successful" hunt than making the kill.

Congratulations!

Plus one on that, you don't always have to drop the hammer to enjoy being out there anywhere

Hey Atticus,
That would have been a good cat to get. I hunted with Dirk the last 2 weeks of May last year at Omburo. What concession were you hunting?

Rsimmons,
We were hunting at a cattle ranch/guest farm near Otjiwarongo called Weaver's Rock, which Dirk and Rita have rights to. There are lots of Leopards there and they had issues with them eating cattle.

I don't know much about leopards but Dirk was thrilled with those pictures and said he was a big one. He sure looks well fed.

Good luck next time around! And thanks for sharing wonderful photos!

I was 16 long days and nights into my 2nd trip for Leopard before I got my 1st shot and finally had my spotted cat in the salt. I was hunting with a handgun, which makes it a trifle more difficult, particularly at night -- but the Leopard is a very worthy adversary and taking one sometimes requires a LOT of patience!

But, then, the challenge is what makes it a worthwhile pursuit. If it was easy, it'd be no fun at all.