Here is a report on my successful leopard hunt in Namibia. This was my third leopard hunt. The first two were unsuccessful. In total, over the three hunts, I hunted 35 days to shoot a leopard.

Date: July 16 through July 29

Airline: South African Airline (from Dulles to Johannesburg). South African Airlines was recovering from a short strike in Dakar. According to the flight crew, the fuel crews had been on strike. Consequently, the leg from Dakar to Johannesburg was about 2 hours late in arriving in Johannesburg. That caused a bunch of hunters (including me) to miss our connections to Windhoek. We were re-booked on the next flight on Air Namibia. I arrived about 5 hours late in total, but my bags did not at all. Air Namibia delivered them 3 days later.

Outfitter: Classic Safaris, through Hunter’s Quest International (Wendell Reich)

Professional Hunter: Gert Van Der Walt. Gert was a pleasure to hunt with. He’s very knowledgeable, amicable, and always had a positive attitude.

Animals hunted: Leopard hunt with dogs

Gun: .Winchester .375 HH, with a 1.5 to 5 Leopold scope using 300 grain Swift A-Frame bullets.

The Hunt
Generally, the hunt followed the same pattern every day. We would get up early in the morning and look for tracks. If a suitable track was found, the dog handler would put the dogs on the track. The dogs, and dog handler always out paced us, but they had radios so we could keep in constant contact. It was a long, hard hunt. Since it will take a little bit to tell the story, I’m going to focus on the last day.

During the course of the thirteen-day hunt, we had several exciting chases. In each case, something would go wrong. Either the leopard would jump a cliff that the dogs could not follow, or it would get too hot to run the track. I told Gert that I was bad luck on leopards. He would just smile and tell me that we would get a leopard. On the last morning, we got up early to check the waterholes for tracks. I told Gert that I never shoot anything on the last morning. He just smiled. It was amazing to watch the trackers, dog handlers, and Gert try to find leopard tracks using a flashlight. I wasn’t feeling very confident, but a sharp whistle from the track did give me some hope.

Gert told me that they had found a fresh track. The track was a large adult track. It may be either a large female or young adult male. He asked me if we should try to run this or look for a bigger track. I told him to run the track, if the dogs would take it. The dog handler released all but two dogs. The two dogs that he kept back were very fast trackers, and this track was very fresh so they didn’t want to take any chances by running the track too fast. We tied the two dogs in the bed of the truck.

The dog handler released the dogs, and they slowly started to work on the track. It was obvious that the track was fresh. The dogs were very excited, but worked the track in a methodical and deliberate way. After about 10 minutes, the first dog opened on the track. It was a relief to hear the dogs barking, but we had several chased during the two weeks, so I still wasn’t getting too excited (remember, I never shot anything on the last day). By this time, the dogs were out of sight and sound. Gert talked to the dog handler over the radio and confirmed the direction they were traveling. We got in the truck and traveled down an old sandy riverbed.

We drove down the riverbed about a half mile and stopped the truck. We got out of the truck and could hear the dog! They were actually getting closer to us. We didn’t find out until much later, but the leopard had run up and over a mountain, then headed directly for us.

We started to walk in the general direction of the dogs, when over the radio came the loudest shouts that I’ve ever heard. I couldn’t understand what they were saying, but it was pretty obvious that something exciting was happening. Gert said. “Run, the leopards in the tree!â€. We both ran in the direction of the sound, which seemed to get louder exponentially with every step. We were running towards the dogs, and the leopard continued to run in our direction.

After we ran a couple of hundred yards, I saw a wonderful sight. In plain sight was a leopard running full stride across the side of mountain, followed closely by a pack of very excited dogs! The leopard found a small tree and climbed it. At the same time, there was another frantic call on the radio, with the same level of urgency as the first. Gert said that the dog handler could see the truck from the mountain and that the two dogs tied in the bed of the truck had tried to join their friends in the chase and they were hanging from the truck! We both ran back as fast as we could to release those two dogs, which were no worse for the ware.

By the time Gert got them untied and off the truck the leopard had jumped from the tree and continued to head in our general direction. Again, we ran to the sound of the dogs, this time, the dogs just sounded different. As we rounded a small turn in the riverbed, we saw the leopard in a large tree looking down at us. The dog handler and tracker had actually caught up with us at that point. We all stood there for a brief few seconds in shear disbelief that I was finally going to get a chase to shoot at a leopard.

Gert was about 5 yards to my left with the tracker and dog handler. Gert reminded me to shoot the leopard on the shoulder. The dog handler suggested that I go back to the truck and get my video camera. Although I was temped, this was my 35th day of leopard hunting and I was really anxious to shot that leopard.

The leopard had cooperated with us. It was high in the tree and in plain sight. I steadied the .375 and shot. I lost the leopard in the recoil for a brief second, but was able to see it roll backwards in the tree. It fell out of the tree and hit the ground like a sack of potatoes, but just as quickly, it was up again and fighting with the dogs on the ground. The leopard was facing away from us fighting with the dogs, but I will never forget the feeling of being within 20 yards of a leopard fighting with dogs.

I tried to get another shot at the leopard, but there were too many dogs. Gert took one step to the left to tried and get a shot as well. Then it happened. In less than a blink of an eye, the leopard caught the sight of Gert moving and it’s attention was drawn to him. Capstick said that when a leopard charges they are anthracite and gold streaks. He was absolutely correct. In an instant, the leopard turned and was in full charge. I’m not sure how Gert got the shot off, or was able to hit the leopard, but he hit the leopard in full charge with his .458 Lott at no more than 10 feet.

The leopard rolled back into a small gulley, still fighting with the dogs! By this point, the leopard was pretty sick, but still fighting. Gert, the dog handler and I moved around the leopard and I was able to get one more shot in. As insurance, Gert shot it one more time with his .357 handgun. I had finally gotten my leopard!

It all happened so fast that at least a couple of the details are not clear. I felt comfortable with the first shot that I made, but Gert thought it was low. Although the leopard looked to be in the open, Gert thought I might have hit a small branch, causing the bullet to deflect slightly. In any case, the leopard was dead. It was a very large old female. She had old broken canine teeth and very few bottom teeth.

For those skeptics out there, that believe I may be adding a little to the story to spice it up, ask Gert, he’ll tell you. For anyone that has hunted with him, his word is enough. Anyway, that last thing I wanted to have was a leopard charge on the last day of my safari.


Things to know before you go:
1. Be in good physical shape. Try to prepare as if you are going on a sheep hunt. The better shape you are in the more you will enjoy the hunt.
2. Short shots are the norm on this kind of a hunt. A low magnification scope is very, very helpful. Carry the biggest gun you shoot well. This is a different hunt than a bait hunt. Stopping the leopard with a large caliber slug is a must.
3. Listen to Gert. He knows what he’s doing.

Great report but:



Just kidding but I would love to see some pictures.



In the meantime, I think this is the .357:






I'm glad to hear you got your leopard, that Gert's .458 Lott is up and running (it was in the works when I was there last year), and that you had a successful, exciting trip. Pictures when you have a chance!

TRL-Congrajulations on your successful hunt.If I ever get a chance to hunt Leopard,I'd like to do it with the hounds also.I get my fill of hunting in a stand here in the Northeast.If you can,post some pics of your trophy.

Thank you Wendell!

And congratulations again on the cat TRL!

Wow! Congrats on a great hunt.

I agree, Gert is the cat expert! Watching him unravel tracks and try to get into the cats mind was a blast.

Joe

TRL...great report and congrats on a wonderful trophy. The topic of hunting with dogs has been debated extensively but I want to hear your opinion about what other have said...that it isn't sporting to hunt leopards w/ dogs.

AndreC.. I was worried about hunting with dogs as well. I've hunted leopards both ways now and can tell you that I think hunting them with dogs is just as much of a challenge. It's a different challenge, but none the less it's still very sporting.

The shots are normally really close and the action is very hectic to say the least. Hunting with dogs was much more of a physical hunt (at least my hunt) than bait hunts.

Wendell: Thanks for posting the picture

Congratulations! A tremendous trophy!!!

TRL
Congratulations on finally getting your leopard. Like you, I have had a hard time coming up with one - until this year.

On the last day of the hunt and after all the baggage problems etc. you must have felt like it was not going to happen.

Your story is excellent and the hunt sounds very exciting.

Wow! What a hunt. Congratulations on your leopard.

Congratulations on getting your leopard!

I'm certainly not going to say you've spiced up the story, Gert met me at the airport to take me to our motel when we were there and gave the same exact story. He even said he could use a small break before he needed to try for another leopard!

Great story about a great hunt!

Glad I didn't have to try and keep up with that long legged hunter in the mountains!

Congratulations on a great hunt! Gert is a great guy and an excellent PH. I'm glad you both came out of this no worse for the wear.

Excellent and well told story!

And congrats on your fine trophy. You've clearly earned your leopard! It's truly amazing what a mere twig can do to a bullet's trajectory. Not much contact is needed to send a slug off kilter.

There's no doubt in my mind that I'd hunt leopard with dogs, at least as readily as I'd set up and shoot another one from a blind (as I have done before).

From all that I've heard and read, including your account, chasing leopard after hounds can be very thrilling and can result in very fast action. It was tough, I imagine, to have to hold your fire because of the dogs. But what other choice did you have?

I'm really glad no one was hurt. And it's sure great to see Gert having such continued success on leopard this year! Capped by a nice shot on a close range, charging and nearly impossible target, too. Thank God!

Great story and very well told!!! The mental picture you painted - especially of the two dogs tied up in the truck trying to get in the hunt - was priceless.

Yours is probably the best lepoard-with-dogs first hand account I've heard. Last day of the hunt and 35'th day of leopard hunting - now that is DRAMA!!!

Thanks for posting.

Phil

Great Hunt

Do you have any more pictures of the dogs? Do you know what kind of hounds you hunted with? Sounds like a great hunt!

Thanks for all the positive feedback. I really appreciate it. If any of you have seen the video "Leopard Charge" by Sportsman on Film. Gert said the dog handler in that video was the same one that we had. He was first rate, and the bravest man in Africa. I told him that several times, but he just laughed.