We just returned from HHK's Lemco Concession and had a great hunt. We arrived two days early to do some fishing. While driving from our camp to the lake we saw a big male lion laying behind a bush, 50 yards from the road.

My husband was hunting leopard and finally connected on a huge tom on the 11th day of the hunt. He spent nine consecutive nights in blinds. Days one and two were spent collecting and hanging baits. On day four, they got kicked out of their blind by a very aggressive bull elephant. He even knocked down their bait tree.

Day ten, a big lioness found the zebra quarter and had a feast. She decided to bring her friends for a look at what that big green square was and they needed to get out of there.

Day eleven, I was helping my husband set a trail timer at the bait the lionesss fed. We heard a low rumbling sound like a lion. The lion turned out to be a bull elephant. Several warning shots at the bull and what I thought for sure was going to be the elephants last seconds on earth ended with him backing down.

That night we heard the trackers singing as the truck came back to camp. There was a huge dead leopard in the truck, but even that did not go without drama. The leopard came in at 8:45 p.m. at an impala bait that was hung low to the ground so the leopard could stand on his hind legs and reach it to feed. My husband shot the leopard and he was sure it was a good hit. The PH Terry Fenn was videotaping the hunt and they watched the tape and the leopard was definitely hit. They left the blind and went into the dry creekbed that they saw the leopard run into after the shot. They saw the leopard laying on his stomach with his head slumped to the side. They approached to approximately 15 yards when the leopard sprang to his feet, growled and fled into heavy cover. The tracker Mazunde and game scout Rogers now joined them. They followed the blood spoor for about 80 yards where the leopard came at them straight on. They each shot twice killing the cat.

The next day we went back to take the blind down and retrace their steps. From where their shell casings were laying to the dead cat was 7 yards.

The Lemco area is a great area. I shot a kudu, zebra and wildebeast.

Ann is going to post pictures for me.

While we were there, Brent Hein's client wounded a lion. We were told to be careful in the bush as there were four wounded buffalo out there.

Our PH was Terry Fenn and I cannot say enough about how great he was. The best we ever hunted with.Terry likes to track leopard. On day eight he got my husband to within 40 yards of a leopard in daylight. By the time they determined it was a male the cat vanished in the grass.

We encountered no problems in Zim. The people were friendly and we went shopping in Bulawayo on the way home.

Thanks for the report -- it sounds like a very exciting hunt. I am looking forward to the pictures.

Hey Kathi,

Wow.....just another dull and boring hunt!! Congrats to both of you!! We'll look forward to the photos. Our first african hunt went great in large part to you! I'll give you a call later this week about our travel arrangements to BC for our May bear hunt.

Bob

Kathi, welcome home..Loved your report...Tell your other half great shooting..Just like a combat course..Waiting for the photos..


Mike

Congratulations on a successful, adventurous, and safe hunt Kathi.I had a bull elephant walk right behind our blind one evening on aleopard bait but just kept going. HHK does an excellent job and Lemco is great hunting. I was in Chamalaya. What camp were you in?

Welcome back Kathi.
Eagerly awaiting the photos.

Kathi, you need to tell Mr. Fenn to choose less desirable real estate for his blinds!

First, your husband is run out of a leopard blind by a PO'ed elephant! Only to have said elephant add insult to injury by knocking down the bait tree!

And then he's run out of another blind by half a pride of lion!

Then you and he both are menaced up close by another PO'ed elephant near another blind!

Then he's charged by a wounded leopard!

Sounds like the dangerous game were ganging up on you guys! Seriously, you had way more than enough excitement on this trip!

Welcome back, and congratulations on your safari--especially the leopard.

Can't wait to see the photographs.

Kathi;

Congratulations on an exciting hunt. Glad to hear you made it back home safely!!! Can't wait for pictures.

Best regards, D. Nelson

sounds like a good exciting hunt, will look forward to seeing the photos.

Kathi, tell us a bit about conditions at Lemco, if you can be bothered?? What shape is the game and the bush in?? See lots of game, or was lack of rain limiting game available?? Anything else you'd care to add??

Certainly sounds like there were ele, lion and leopard still roaming...
- mike

Kathi,

Thats is some great stuff, I look forward to seeing your pictures. Hopefully there is one there of you posing with your kudu.

BigBullet

Congratulations and welcome home Kathi. If I ever hunt lion I would like to invite you to come along, seems you always are surrounded by great cats! Chirisa, now Lemco! Catnip Kathi would make a great nickname. Sounds like a great hunt with excellent trophies...the Lemco is a special place. Look forward to your pictures.

Here are a few pictures that Kathi asked me to post... That is one awesome cat!!! Kathi's husband took a wonderful black-maned lion a few years ago in Zim, and this leopard is equally as impressive.

Congratulations guys!

Very nice -- that looks to be one big head on that cat!

Kathi,

Tell your husband what a trophy....


Mike

Kathi

Those are nice pics of the cat. He's got a humongous head! Definitely looks like a very mature cat with his teeth being worn down like that.

Kathi,

Congratulations to you and your husband. Absolutely fantastic leopard! Without question a huge specimen! How will you folks choose to mount? Can't wait to see the results! Hugh

Here's some more photos!







You go girl!

I really can't say enough about the leopard. Nice Kudu too!

Kathi,

That is a PERFECT leopard! Old but still massive, with a huge head, broken, chipped and worn down teeth and powerful shoulders and fore paws.

That one would have done some damage had your husband and his PH not stopped him when they did.

Just perfect! Congrats!

Kathi

"Well Done" to you and your hubby!

Simply an awesome cat! What a knarley old monster! What character!

Looks like my kitty just got bumped down a notch!

Another testament to the amazing leopard gene pool Lemco has!

What an great adventure to share!

Those dang Lemco eles are a bit cranky! Thought we were going to have to pump about 4 different bulls, but managed to get them to back down. What an adrenaline dump!

Again, Well done!

Tim

Thanks for sharing Kathi.

What a splendid hunting. Your husband's tom is fantastic, a dream of a leopard.
Your plains games are nice as well.

May I reproach You to be too concise. It's a great quality for biz, not for litterature. You let us not time to salivate, we are generously fed.
What a hunt!!

A question Kathi,


My brother in law was hunting with HKK (there is a frog part owning the outfit) this year (with a wonderful rifle, mine ,) The pics show the logde is extremely comfortable and dominating a river where animals come to drink. Is it Lemco?

Congs again!

That is one huge pussy cat!

Beautiful pictures. In what part of the country is Lemco in?? How old is that cat I wonder?